Lafayette panel approves facade changes, removal of vacant apartment at 3409 Mount Diablo Blvd.

The Lafayette Design Review Commission voted unanimously Aug. 11 to find a proposed exterior remodel and land-use permit at 3409 Mount Diablo Boulevard exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and to adopt Resolution 2025-12 approving the project subject to conditions.

The project would remove a vacant three-bedroom apartment on the upper level — a change required under the C-1 zoning district when a commercial use displaces a residential unit — and would remodel exterior facades in two phases, with work on the rear elevation first and front-facing changes later.

City staff presented the application and said the planning commission previously approved the land-use permit on July 21 and that the design review hearing was to consider the exterior modifications. The staff recommendation was to find the project CEQA-exempt and to adopt DRC Resolution 2025-12 with conditions.

Robert Lyman, of Johnson Lyman Architects, told the commission the design draws on Lafayette's local Craftsman architectural vocabulary and that the building's new ground floor will be used for wine storage and distribution, not winemaking. "We're bringing that theme to this building because this new ground floor will partially serve his winery," Lyman said. He described proposed materials as vertical board-and-batten siding, exposed braces and beams, natural wood doors, stone veneer at the front and standing-seam metal roofing in a brown tone.

The applicant explained the work will be phased so existing upstairs commercial tenants are not displaced mid-lease. The applicant said most upper-level leases run until early 2028 and that the project team expects to return to the commission in 2027 for phase 2 approvals when leases expire.

A member of the public, Will Newhart, identified himself as a Lafayette resident and asked, "What prompted the selection of the color palette for the building?" Lyman said the palette was chosen to match existing materials and to maintain visual cohesion with nearby commercial properties.

Commissioners asked for clarification about the scope of the current review and the timing of phase 2. Commissioner John Gray (Design Review Commissioner) confirmed the commission was reviewing only phase 1 and that subsequent facade work would return for later review. Commissioners raised minor concerns about light spill to an adjacent single-family residence and about how the phase-2 transition would tie the Mount Diablo elevation to the side elevations. The applicant said exterior lighting will be limited to lantern-style fixtures and possible motion-activated security lights.

Staff also noted the project is subject to the city's public-art requirement; the applicant indicated a mural is a future option but that murals must be processed through the Public Art Committee and the city's mural program, which requires property-owner enrollment.

After discussion, a motion to find the project exempt from CEQA and to adopt Resolution 2025-12 passed unanimously. The commission recorded its approval with all present commissioners voting in favor.

The applicant will return to the commission for phase 2 design review once tenant leases on the upper level expire and the owner pursues front-facing facade changes and potential public art.